(i) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vending machine for selling a selected commodity based on insertion of coins or a paper money and pushing a commodity selecting button.
(ii) Description of the Related Art
In order to promote the sales of commodities in the vending machine, the methods, for example, as in (a) and (b) described below are carried out.
(a) When a purchaser presses the commodity selecting button of the vending machine, the vending machine sells the selected commodity and draws lots inside. If winning a prize in the lottery, the vending machine provides the purchaser with the commodity for nothing based on pushing the commodity selecting button.
(b) When a special sheet such as a postcard having thereon an attached point seal or winning seal that was attached to the purchased commodity is sent to a manufacturer from the purchaser, the manufacturer provides the applicant with the prize.
However, in the lot drawing method as in the aforesaid (a), the sales profit of the vending machine itself is reduced if the winning probability is made high, because the commodities are provided when winning a prize in the lottery. It is necessary to reduce the winning probability in order to increase the sales profit, but if the winning probability is reduced, the vending machine becomes not more than an ordinary vending machine, and therefore the increase in the ability to pull buying public cannot be expect so much.
On the other hand, in the applying method as in the aforesaid (b), the operation of posting the point seals or the winning seals on the commodities and the operation of checking the applied special sheets or the like are needed, and therefore the cost becomes high. Moreover, the similar commodities are sold at many places other than the vending machines, and therefore this method is not sufficient to increase only the ability to pull the buying public for the vending machine.